0013 16 (Part 1)
Wearing a French-style long dress and with light blonde hair, Song Ning got out of the taxi.
After nearly 20 hours of travel, she was finally able to see Shen Yuxiu again.
In previous years, Shen Yuxiu would always come back to see her whenever he had time, but this year, he was too busy with his doctoral studies to go home.
But it doesn't matter. If he can't come back, then she'll come to find him.
Just thinking about Shen Yuxiu's expression when he sees her makes Song Ning look forward to it.
This was a surprise she had specially prepared for him.
Song Ning, dragging her suitcase, stood in front of a country-style villa covered in ivy, wondering how she would appear before Shen Yuxiu later.
Should I tease him on purpose? Or should I give him a warm hug?
Song Ning smiled and walked into the courtyard, ringing the doorbell.
The person who opened the door was a blond, blue-eyed foreigner. He was very surprised to see Song Ning, and his deep eyes gleamed.
“It’s you! Simon’s baby sister. Your photo doesn’t do you justice.” As if afraid he hadn’t quite expressed his meaning, the man shrugged and excitedly added, “You are heavenly.”
"Thank you.Is Simon home?"
Seeing that the person who opened the door was not Shen Yuxiu, Song Ning felt a little disappointed, but the smile on her face remained unchanged.
“Yeah, you’re in.” The man walked in and called out, “Carver. Look who’s here.”
Around a long table in the room, five or six men and women of different nationalities were having a heated discussion, but they were all young.
Everyone had notebooks and stacks of books on their desks. Hearing the noise, they stopped their discussion and looked over.
Several people looked amazed when they saw Song Ning and whispered among themselves.
When an Asian-looking man saw Song Ning, he gave her an "unwelcoming" look, but he was good at managing his emotions, and that "unwelcoming" look was quickly covered up by a smile.
He stood up and walked towards Song Ning: "Ningning?"
"Sheng, where's your brother?" Song Ning looked at Jiang Xisheng's bright smile and almost doubted that she had seen things wrong.
Once, Song Ning also thought about studying hard and getting a university admission notice at the age of 14 like Shen Yuxiu, so that she could have Shen Yuxiu stay with her for a few more years.
But Song Ning later discovered that geniuses are impossible to catch up with, especially since there was a seven-year gap between them.
“That’s rude. I’m two years older than Xiu, you should call him Brother Sheng,” Jiang Xisheng said.
Song Ning, used to Jiang Xisheng's casual attitude, asked again, "Where's my brother?"
"You've grown so tall, why are you still calling me 'brother' all the time, just like when you were little? You're so pretty, don't you have a boyfriend?" Jiang Xisheng squinted and smiled brightly.
Song Ning's patience was wearing thin, but Jiang Xisheng seemed oblivious, continuing to say to himself, "You're 16 this year, right? It's time to find a boyfriend. Stop revolving around your brother all the time. Your brother needs to have his own life."
"What kind of life?" Song Ning understood the meaning behind Jiang Xisheng's words, and instead of getting angry, she smiled.
"For example: find a girlfriend, have a passionate romance, and if you're lucky, walk down the aisle with the woman you love and stay together for life," Jiang Xisheng described vividly.
Hearing Jiang Xisheng's words, Song Ning's smile gradually widened, but her eyes seemed to shoot out icy blades.
If Song Ning weren't familiar with Jiang Xisheng, she might think he said those words unintentionally, but she had clashed with this man countless times since childhood, and they both knew each other's weaknesses very well.
After countless clashes, the two eventually reached a delicate balance, refraining from deliberately provoking each other.
But Jiang Xisheng's words today not only had nothing to do with the beauty in the content, but were even a thorn deliberately prepared for her.
Jiang Xisheng is a cunning fox who knows how to weigh things; he would never say these things to her without a reason to provoke her.
She didn't travel such a long distance alone to a foreign land to be mistreated!
"Mmm." Song Ning smiled sweetly. "By the way, I ran into Sister Jiayi last time. Next time I see her, I'll definitely tell her that you're doing well here and have your own life. That way, she can find a boyfriend to date. Anyway, in the army..."
"Song Ning, how dare you!" Jiang Xisheng tore off his disguise and interrupted Song Ning in a low voice.
"What is there that I wouldn't dare to do?" Song Ning didn't bother to pretend anymore, and said coldly, "What are you trying to do by deliberately stalling me? Where is my brother? If you don't tell me, I'll find him myself. Go ahead and call the police to arrest me if you dare."
Before Jiang Xisheng could respond, Song Ning threw her suitcase at him and walked towards a room.
She didn't come here to see what kind of ridiculous new life Shen Yuxiu had!
Is Shen Yuxiu dating someone? Getting married?
Song Ning didn't understand why just imagining it made her feel like a fire was burning in her heart, wanting to burn this place to ashes.
She pushed open doors one after another, not letting any room, bathroom, or storage room go unchecked.
Song Ning's actions attracted the attention of others. Jiang Xisheng caught up with her, grabbed her, and said through gritted teeth, "You're really crazy. Can't you just let Xiu go?"
Let him go? Why should she let him go? She never intended to let him go. Shouldn't they be together forever? He said he would protect her; how could he protect her if they weren't together?
Song Ning was filled with countless questions, her heart clenching with pain so intense she could hardly breathe.
The person in front of him was Shen Yuxiu's best friend. He wasn't the type to speak like that without reason. So, did he say something? Was he starting to see her as a burden? A poisonous insect? A shackle binding his life?
Song Ning shook off Jiang Xisheng's hand and walked upstairs. No matter what, she had to find him and get to the bottom of things.
The handsome man who opened the door seemed startled by the two's strange behavior and stood there dumbfounded at the top of the stairs.
Song Ning had no time to pay attention to him at the moment. She pushed him away, lifted her foot, and was about to rush upstairs when she saw Shen Yuxiu.
Shen Yuxiu walked out from the corner of the stairs and froze on the spot when he saw Song Ning. Behind him was a petite and lovely Eastern girl.
A girl with an oval face, willow-leaf eyebrows, and cherry lips is a typical beauty with the gentle and graceful temperament of an Eastern woman.
She was wearing a standard shirt and short skirt, holding several thick books, standing behind Shen Yuxiu. The obvious height difference between the two made her appear even more petite and delicate.
Song Ning felt as if something inside her body had been split in two, a strong soreness rose in her mouth and nose, even her eyelids felt hot, and her whole body trembled uncontrollably.
She had wondered before what caused her morbid and obsessive possessiveness toward Shen Yuxiu.
At first, she thought it was because Shen Yuxiu was hers, so no one else could touch him, which was somewhat similar to possessiveness towards a favorite toy. But later she felt it was different, and the feeling was more complicated.
She would only feel anger when her toys were taken away, but when Shen Yuxiu was taken away, she felt not only anger but also sadness and intense hatred.
She had been trying to find the answer in other people or things she liked, but she couldn't find it even after searching for a long time.
Now, Jiang Xisheng's words overlapped with the jokes of others from her childhood, and the meaning was similar. Only when she began to understand love did she realize why she used to get so angry when she heard such words.
No matter who stands next to Shen Yuxiu, it won't work if it's not her.
She loves Shen Yuxiu! Not the love between family members, but the love between lovers, a unique and special love where he is the only exception.
She also wanted Shen Yuxiu to love her, to love her like Romeo loved Juliet, or Liang Shanbo loved Zhu Yingtai, to love her to the point of being willing to die for her, to dedicate everything to her, and to be so crazy for her that she would disregard everything else.
She wanted Shen Yuxiu's intense and violent love!
Song Ning lowered her head, her hands clenched tightly at her sides, suppressing her physical reaction and the urge to rush forward, her chest churning with a mix of emotions.
Anger, resentment, longing, and excruciating pain—each emotion was so intense that her heart could not contain it.
"Ningning? What are you doing here?"
What's she doing here? Of course she's here to see him, otherwise why would she be here!
Song Ning stared at the tears that had shattered on the ground, unable to utter a single word!
She didn't care what his relationship was with the girl next to him. She was confident that no matter who it was, Shen Yuxiu would never give her up for that person and hurt her.
But does he love her? Is it the same as her love? If he only ever sees her as a sister, if he always...
She heard the sound of footsteps on the stairs, like a fast-paced drumbeat, each beat landing on her heartbeat.
"Why are you crying? Are you feeling unwell, or are you too tired from the car ride? Are you hurt somewhere, Ningning?" Shen Yuxiu asked anxiously.
See? He's always been a stable person; only she can make him lose control of his emotions.
Tears streamed down her handsome, refined face, leaving heartbreaking marks. Song Ning's voice trembled as she said, "Shen Yuxiu, you have a girlfriend? Is your excuse for being busy with your studies and not coming home? Are you going to abandon me and live your own life? You think I'm a burden, don't you? You don't want me anymore."
As she spoke, her voice became so pitiful that it was heartbreaking to hear, and even those with a language barrier couldn't bear to listen to her.
Shen Yuxiu seemed relieved. He took the tissue handed to him and said, "The answer to all the questions you asked is no."
Song Ning almost blurted out, "Then do you love me or not?", but she gritted her teeth.
The timing was wrong, the atmosphere was wrong, and even she herself was wrong.
“Although I don’t know why you suddenly acted this way, if it’s because of those questions just now, then all those tears you shed were for nothing.” Shen Yuxiu wiped the tears from the corner of her chin.
Song Ning took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.
Nothing has changed.
Just as my chest felt a little better, a new wave of stuffiness surged up again.
But she wanted their relationship to change, to become more special, to become unique.
Song Ning lowered her head and remained silent for a long time until Shen Yuxiu's elegant and unique scent came close to her body and embraced her. Only then did she clutch his shirt tightly, bury her head in his chest, and greedily inhale that familiar scent.
Shen Yuxiu hadn't hugged her in a long time. He didn't know when it started, but no matter how much she threw a tantrum, Shen Yuxiu refused to hug her anymore. At most, he would only let her hold his hand.
"Hugs, don't cry. I'm the one who should be crying because I'm so happy to see you." Shen Yuxiu patted her gently to comfort her, his tone like he was coaxing a child.
Song Ning stopped crying and started laughing. She was hard to coax, but he was an exception.
Song Ning looked up and gave Shen Yuxiu what she considered her most flawless, sweet smile: "Surprise!"
After a moment of stunned silence, Shen Yuxiu chuckled, his eyes overflowing with laughter like sunshine under a clear blue sky, instantly dispelling the negative emotions in Song Ning's heart.
Although Song Ning had imagined his joy at seeing her, she found that her imagination was still too limited.
Shen Yuxiu suppressed a laugh and used the tissue in his hand to wipe her cheek.
Song Ning seemed to realize this only then, and silently added another sentence in her mind.
Jiang Xisheng! You just wait.
That evening, Shen Yuxiu hosted a welcome party for Song Ning. Most of the people who attended in the afternoon were Shen Yuxiu's classmates. Except for one person who had to leave, everyone else stayed.
Perhaps because they were usually too busy with their studies, everyone had a great time at the welcome party.
Inside, the atmosphere was lively with clinking glasses and dim lighting.
Some boys took off their shirts, revealing their muscular physiques, which drew cheers from the girls. Some of the bolder ones even went so far as to touch them and dance intimately.
A couple was sitting on a sofa, passionately kissing. The man's hand was still under the woman's clothes. Anyone with eyes could see what they were doing.
Even Shen Yuxiu's gentle, tender eyes were flushed with a drunken blush...
After one song ended, Song Ning decisively switched to his own music, then raised a bottle of liquor and shouted, "To Carver!"
The others, half-drunk and unaware of what was happening, joined in the chanting: "To Carver!"
“All we ever hear from you is blah blah blah…”
Sitting in the corner, Jiang Xisheng gave Song Ning a thumbs up amidst the endless loop of "blah blah blah" in the upbeat music.
Song Ning tilted his head back and defiantly gave him a thumbs-up.
She had intended to use another international friendly gesture, but Shen Yuxiu was standing next to her, looking at her with a doting and gentle smile, which prevented her from doing so.
Song Ning saw Jiang Xisheng and Shen Yuxiu talking to each other. She understood lip reading, so she could identify the shape of his lips.
Jiang Xisheng: "She's really something."
Shen Yuxiu looked at Song Ning, who was watching them, his eyebrows curved, and he raised the wine glass in his hand to cover his lips.
"..."
Song Ning was annoyed; what was it that she couldn't know?
Jiang Xisheng: "Whatever, you're the one suffering anyway."
Shen Yuxiu lowered his eyes, put down his wine glass and gently swirled it, staring intently at the swaying liquid inside.
Song Ning focused intently on discerning Shen Yuxiu's lip shape.
“I’m not in pain, you’re overthinking it. I’m happy every minute I’m with her.”
Are you happy?
Song Ning jumped into the dancing crowd, her beautiful eyes crinkling, laughing wildly and unrestrainedly, happily twisting her body amidst a series of "blah"s.
Jiang Xisheng: "It seems that your only advantage is your high IQ."
"You're just not smart enough!" Song Ning said, jumping up and down as she looked this way.
Shen Yuxiu: "Perhaps."
What do you mean, maybe! Of course not. Song Ning stopped dancing, about to rush over to argue, when she saw Shen Yuxiu mouth to her, "Have fun."
Song Ning's lips seemed to be pulled upwards by something, and she couldn't hold it in.
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